Scientologists accused of invading LA relief centers for staged photo-ops and leaving with food, supplies meant for wildfire victims: Tone deaf clout grab

The Church of Scientology has been exploiting the raging wildfires torching Los Angeles for photo ops, recent social media posts claim.Several posts, including one shared on Reddit Friday, have accused Scientologists of invading relief centers in Pasadena, Santa Anita and Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles — leaving with food and other donated goods intended for fire victims.Investigative journalist Tony Ortega reported members of the church — accompanied by professional camera crews — were photographed in their “high-visibility” yellow “Volunteer Minister” windbreakers this week at various donation sites established across LA to help people impacted by the raging fires that first started on Tuesday.“Numerous online posters are claiming that Scientology VMs are picking up supplies at staging areas like at the Santa Anita race track, and taking them away in order to set up their photo opps somewhere else,” Ortega reported.Scientology has historically dispatched the Volunteer Ministers to different disaster areas, where they “[set] up bogus relief efforts and all for the cameras,” according to Ortega, who has been covering the highly controversial church for two decades.The footage is then later used in promotional videos, Ortega reported.“F–k them and their tone deaf clout grab,” wrote one person on social media.“They don’t give a s–t about anyone but themselves,” another commented.“Taking supplies and ‘distributing’ them elsewhere seems to be outright theft to me,” noted another critic.

“Does anyone know if those ‘repurposed’ supplies were actually given out?”The church, meanwhile, apparently has set up its own relief center, promising water, non-perishable foods and hygiene products for those impacted.The church did not respond to requests for comment....